Man killed by gunman at Trump rally hailed as ‘hero’

Corey Comperatore, the 50-year-old Butler, Pennsylvania, man who was killed in an assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at a political rally, went to church every Sunday and loved his family and community, Gov. Josh Shapiro said at a news conference.

Comperatore, a devoted father of two daughters and former fire chief of the Buffalo Township Volunteer Fire Department, was attending the rally when the attacker opened fire on Saturday.

“Corey was a father of girls. Corey was a firefighter. Corey went to church every Sunday. Corey loved his community. And most of all, Corey loved his family,” Shapiro said at a news conference on Sunday, hailing Comperatore as a hero who died protecting his family from gunfire, NBC Philadelphia reported.

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At the rally, Corey threw himself over his family to protect them, the governor said. “Corey was the very best of us. May his memory be a blessing.”

Corey’s daughter Allyson Comperatore wrote on Facebook: “He protected my body from the bullet that was coming at us. He truly loved us so much that he would have taken a real bullet for us.”

His wife Helen Comperatore also expressed her sadness over the events. “What my beloved girls had to witness is unforgivable,” she wrote on Facebook.

In an address to the nation at the White House, President Joe Biden praised Comperatore and his heroic act in defending his family.

The Pennsylvania governor also noted that “Corey was an avid supporter of the former president and was thrilled to be in the community with him last night,” NPR reported.

Rich Hill, the township manager of Buffalo Township, expressed his deep sadness over Comperatore’s death. “Political violence is always unacceptable and should be condemned,” NPR quoted Hill as saying.

The former president has supported a GoFundMe page for the victims organized by Meredith O’Rourke, the national finance director of his 2024 campaign, which has already raised well over $3.6 million.

Several other GoFundMe accounts have been set up, including one specifically for Comperatore’s daughter Allyson, which has raised over $840,000.

At the press conference, Shapiro said he had been in contact with Comperatore’s family and the families of two other people who were seriously injured in the incident.

The injured, identified by Pennsylvania State Police as David Dutch, 57, of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, and James Copenhaver, 74, of Moon Township, Pennsylvania, are both in stable condition.

In a subsequent press conference, Shapiro called for peace and decency and reminded everyone of the importance of participating peacefully in political and social processes. “My message to all Pennsylvanians, my message to all Americans is: Stand by your convictions, believe what you believe, stand up for what you believe in and participate in political and social processes, but always do so peacefully,” he was quoted as saying.

In memory of Comperatore, Shapiro ordered flags across the state to be flown at half-staff.